TheLateRobert
(Stroud, Gloucs)
Thursday 17 Sep 2026, 5:00pm
The Late Robert: acoustic multi-instrumentalist and singer seeks musical company, Stroud, Gloucestershire
I'm 67, hence the name: a guitarist who sings baritone, and a former semi-pro bassist in jazz, rock, Irish and indie. Being newish to Stroud, I'm not chasing formal gigs yet. I'm seeing who's out there and what might develop. I'd happily try informal outings, though: busking, open mics, a corner of a café, anywhere music gets played to people who didn't necessarily come to hear it.
I'm a music nerd, and meticulous with it. I sweat the details most people never notice: the right key for the voice, where the bass sits, how a groove breathes. I play, produce, arrange and master my own backing tracks in Reaper: drums, bass and, where a song calls for it, a little virtual piano, organ, sax or harmonica. I'd happily swap any of those for a real person. I also maintain a repertoire spreadsheet that might alarm an accountant. But nobody in a room ever heard a perfect arrangement. They hear a performance. The preparation is there so I can stop thinking about it and play the song, and underneath all the fiddling is a strong ear that hears songs from the bass up.
The material is about 150 songs, all charted, mostly in my keys and ready to share via QR or PDF: The Beatles, Billy Joel, Van Morrison, Cat Stevens, Oasis, folk, some crowd-pleasers, and classic rock, plus a couple of originals with more on the way. My rig runs on batteries, so a pavement is as good as a stage.
A steel-string acoustic is my workhorse. I have another one as well as a PRS electric that's slowly being dragged into the act. There are basses too, fretted or fretless, though the bass hands are rusty and would need a few rehearsals to remember their job. There's also a kazoo, for emergencies.
Who I'd like to hear from: musicians who do the homework and then leave it at home. A harmony singer, a fiddle, harmonica or keys player, another guitarist, or a percussionist who listens. The instrument matters less than the attitude: enjoy the detail in rehearsal, then play to people rather than at them.
What I'm offering: serious commitment to the music. Not a marriage, but not a one-night stand either. Think regular dates with a view to seeing where it goes.
I'm dry, occasionally dark, and reliable. I turn up prepared and on time, and the name is a joke. I'm very much alive.
Robert Sutherland
Contact: tlr@outlook.com